Google Search, An Important Stop On The Customer Journey

Numerous studies have been conducted on the behavior of consumers. Much of the studies revealed that a vital part of the customer journey involves conducting online research. Let’s look into how Google search has impacted much of the online buying process for consumers.

Stages of the buying process

1. Raises awareness

At the first stage of the buyer’s journey, your potential consumer realises a want or need for a specific product or services. They come to Google to get a better understanding of what they want or need. For most potential consumers, they are looking for general answers stated in a neutral tone. Marketers can utilise blog posts, white papers, e-books and analytical reports to deliver the necessary content.

2. Consideration

By the second stage, the consumer has already clearly defined what it is they want or need. They are now in the process of wanting to know what their options are. At this stage, consumers are not yet ready to buy. They are simply looking for information that would help them compare what is available on the market. The most effective forms of content during this stage of the buying process include expert guides, product comparison guides, podcasts and videos of live interactions. Keywords fall along the lines of tools, services and providers, among others.

3. Intent

This is the stage where the goal is to sell the product or service to the potential lead. The consumer has shown interest in purchasing a product or service. It is now a question of where the consumer buys it, or… from which business. Content that would be beneficial during this stage includes case studies, testimonials, live demos, spec sheets and other product literature. Keywords that would bring the sale include review, test, compare, as well as pros and cons.

Social media is not a research tool for purchases

Although social media networks have several useful benefits for companies, brands and businesses, this does not include research for purchases. Only 15 percent of consumers use social media to help them make purchasing decisions as compared to 97 percent of consumers who use search engines. Companies and businesses use social media to build their brands, interact with their market and share content, but it is not an effective research tool for consumers.

As you can see, at any given stage, you can create specific forms of content that will direct the consumer into performing an action. Content can provide general questions, compare options or convince consumers to buy from a particular business or company. Compared to social media and other channels, Google search is an important tool in the buying process. Search engines make it easier for brands and businesses to convert potential leads into buyers.

So for us here at DigiEnable we try to help people understand digital more, and for our SEO services, what SEO actually is, and why it’s important to organisations and businesses in today’s digital world.

We use our blogs to help raise awareness and inform the purchasing decision. For example a blog such as our Creative Ways to explain SEO to the Non-Technical would be a great awareness raiser of what SEO is, and the Which Search Engine Strategy to choose blog is a good one for potential clients to consider when deciding what type of services they want to buy. Then for the intent stage we have deeper info on what we do in our SEO services pages and can do bespoke proposals for those interested in learning what we can do specifically for them and their websites.

Are there any blogs you find useful to attract your potential clients in? Would you like to see us do more blogs about a certain theme or topic? Let us know on the comments below on on our social media channels where we keep in touch with our clients and contacts and share useful stuff. Do you see what we did there?

If we can help your business or organization get more digital savvy or visible online, just contact us.